Posted by SLS on February 3, 2003, at 15:04:47
In reply to Re: Mifepristole (RU-486) lowers cortisol? » Ame Sans Vie, posted by Pfinstegg on February 3, 2003, at 10:25:11
> > I just thought I'd ask what everyone else had heard about this, as I just saw it mentioned in the magazine 'Psychology Today' as I was perusing it in Barnes & Noble. It was listed in a long chart of anti-depressant drugs and seemed oddly out of place (an abortifacient being psychologyically useful...?), until I read that it was known to lower cortisol? Could this be an option for anxiety/depression? Anybody?
> Yes, it is.
Hi.
Actually, mifepristone causes the body to secrete huge amounts of cortisol!
To be accurate, mifepristone reduces cortisol *activity* in the body by blocking cortisol receptors. However, by blinding regulatory cells from seeing cortisol, they ask the body to produce more to compensate for a perceived deficit. This type of systemic regulation is known as a negative-feedback loop.
I am very excited to see so such much focus on developing anticortisol drugs to treat depression. However, I am more than a bit nervous to flood my whole body with cortisol on a permanent basis. For example, perhaps there are subtypes of the cortisol receptor that mifepristone cannot not block. Tissues containing such a receptor would manifest the effects of hypercortisolemia. I don't know. I'd just like to see this issue addressed thoroughly.
You might want to take a quick look at the use of the "antifungal" drug, ketoconazole. It too opposes the activity of cortisol and has shown some value in depression. However, I don't recall through what mechanism(s). I think it actually influences the adrenal glands directly to reduce their production of cortisol. If you research it, will you please post what you find?
Thanks.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:139015
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030130/msgs/139139.html